HVAC maintenance is one of the most controversial topics out there in the HVAC industry. Why? Mostly because those who own HVAC systems understand the idea of striving for efficiency: paying the least amount of money for the most amount of output from your system. Likewise, these same people might see maintenance as an unnecessary expense.
Of course, we have to disagree. If your goal is efficiency, maintenance is exactly the kind of thing that you need! We’ll explain why that is by breaking some of the common myths around maintenance.
Having a heating system is nothing new, even for residents of Southern California. However, if we look at the statistics, the odds are high that you’ve been using a furnace up to this point. While furnaces have certainly earned their reputation and are great choices for heating, we’d argue that heat pumps are better in our climate. It’s not difficult for heat pumps to achieve the same level of comfort with greater efficiency.
Nowadays, we are surrounded by “smart” technology. It’s rare to find someone without a smartphone; our televisions have their own app stores; there’s even a smart kettle, which is admittedly much more trouble than it’s worth. But the bottom line on all the smart stuff is this: you only need it if it makes sense for your needs.
For many homeowners, the idea of “indoor air quality” might be new to them. It’s surprising to find out that your home’s indoor quality can be several times worse than the outdoors. But after learning that, what are you supposed to do now?
In Southern California, there’s really no wrong time to have your heater serviced. If you lived in Vermont, sure, we would suggest having that done before the worst of winter takes hold. But with our weather, we can get away with having to service our furnace in the middle of the cold season.
Depending on what kind of system we’re looking at, a heating system can last between ten and twenty years. Partway through that time, your eye might catch some new systems with better features, higher efficiency, or newer technology.
Your furnace isn’t acting quite the way it should. Luckily, you’ve found a video online that seems to describe the problem perfectly (the furnace in the video isn’t the same model as yours, but it’s close enough, right?). All you need now is a pair of gloves, some goggles, a welding torch…
Gas furnaces utilize the burning of gas, and that can bring a slew of problems: carbon monoxide leaks, gas leaks, house fires…
If you’ve been using your furnace since the beginning of fall and still haven’t had a maintenance check, you might be thinking that you’re off the hook. We don’t blame you—if you’ve already made it to winter, why not just take your chances and see if you can make it through to spring?
Knowing when to replace your furnace can be a major benefit for you and your wallet. Our qualified team at RKM Heating & Air Conditioning can help you upgrade to a more efficient system! Winter can get pretty chilly, even here in California, so you won’t want to have a fussy furnace. A qualified HVAC technician can help you decide if your furnace is ready to be replaced.